Page 137 of Crimson Oath
“That’s an excellent question.” Kezia tasted her blood-wine. “Both my brothers have been keeping secrets from me.”
Tatyana sipped her wine. “You don’t look angry.”
“Why would I be? I have secrets of my own.”
Tatyana offered another name even though her gut was saying she was wrong. “Benjamin Vecchio might be considered an opportunist by some.”
“By me.” Kezia sipped her wine. “But apparently he and his mate decided to leave us, and as I am not missing anything other than a broken bottle of schnapps, I doubt it was him or Tenzin. They are both very accomplished thieves.”
Tatyana blinked. “What do you mean?”
“Ben and Tenzin are both very good at… we’ll sayretrievinglost things. It’s their business these days.”
“But you said they are gone?”
“Yes.” Kezia’s eyebrows went up. “Vano said they requested permission to leave. Quite extraordinary, but he made it sound like itwas some kind of family emergency, and considering both their families?—”
“They’regone?” That’s what had felt off. There were two trailers missing from the kamvasa. That was the imbalance Tatyana sensed when she stepped outside.
“Things like this happen rarely, but they do happen.” Kezia lifted one shoulder. “What can you do? They will not be welcomed back for a century at least. That is the penalty for breaking one’s contract even in an emergency.”
Well, that explained why the darigan had moved. If Vecchio and his mate had truly demanded to leave, the kamvasa could not remain in the same position for security reasons.
That meant that Oleg’s presence was still undetected unless Vano had chosen to rat her out.
“And how are you finding the kamvasa this season, Tatyana Vorona?” Kezia lifted her glass of wine. “It seems you have made yourself very much at home.”
She was tempted to tell Kezia what she’d witnessed between Vano and Rumi or that Vano had threatened her, grabbed her in the shadows, and tried to intimidate her.
Tell on me, and I’ll tell on you.
“I love it here.” Even with Vano’s scheming, it was the absolute truth. “In all honesty, given the choice, I think I would never leave.”
The following night,Tatyana walked toward the cooking wagons, needing to reassure herself that Rumi, Desiree, and Katrina were still there. She hadn’t seen them in a few nights, and now everything seemed uncertain.
The tension was even more distinct in the human areas of thekamvasa, though more humans had gathered and there was a general air of festivity.
Children ran through the camp, chasing each other while wearing flower crowns and fancy dresses as their mothers shouted at them to keep clean.
Dogs barked in happy chorus, and slow-blinking cats peered from the tops of trailers and covered wagons, watching from the darkness with gold eyes.
Small fires had been lit in each circle, and men and women gathered around them, chatting and smoking cigarettes and pipes. She drew a few curious glances, but the Poshani who knew her nodded and drew the curious stares away.
“Tatyana!”
She turned when she heard her name and saw Rumi waving for her. She walked over, and Rumi greeted her with an embrace.
Tatyana asked, “How are you?”
Rumi’s eyes were bright. “Vampire drama, yes? This move disrupted all the original plans for the dinner because we were going to do a pit roast, but what can you do, right?” She shrugged. “The security of the guests come first.”
“We don’t deserve you.”
Rumi smiled and reached for a bottle of beer. “You don’t.” She waved at Tatyana. “Walk with me.”
They moved from Rumi’s trailer through the circles of Poshani wagons and trailers, and Tatyana felt her tension start to drain away.
Rumi kept her voice low. “I understand that Oleg is arriving tomorrow night.”
